Food Processor Vessel Locking Ring for Variable Height Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing food processors require specific preparation vessels matching the height of their locking rollers, limiting compatibility with different vessel heights and preventing the use of various preparation vessels.
Innovation Solution
A preparation vessel with a rotating locking ring mounted on its periphery, which engages with the base unit's counter-elements to secure the vessel, allowing for a wide range of vessel heights and diameters to be used with any food processor, featuring a contact element activated by the food processor's activating assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If locking rollers of fixed height are used in the base unit, then reliable locking is achieved, but compatibility with preparation vessels of different heights is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the locking mechanism with adjustable elements on the base unit, the patent inverts the approach by placing the locking ring with projections directly on the preparation vessel. This allows the vessel itself to adapt to different base unit configurations, achieving both reliable locking and compatibility with various vessel heights and diameters
Solution Approach 2:
The locking assembly is segmented into a locking ring with multiple projections that can engage with corresponding counter-elements on the base unit. This segmentation allows different projections to engage with different counter-elements, enabling compatibility with various vessel sizes while maintaining secure locking
2Device complexity
If a locking assembly is integrated into the base unit, then locking control is simplified, but the preparation vessel becomes less adaptable to different base units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional locking architecture by moving the locking ring from the base unit to the preparation vessel. The base unit retains only the activating assembly and counter-elements, simplifying its structure while the preparation vessel carries the adaptive locking mechanism with projections that engage with the counter-elements
3Reliability
If locking rollers are used to lock the preparation vessel, then secure connection is achieved, but the preparation vessel cannot be easily removed or replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The locking ring is designed to be rotatable relative to the preparation vessel, allowing dynamic transition between locked and unlocked states. The projections on the locking ring engage with counter-elements on the base unit when locked, and can be disengaged by rotating the locking ring, enabling easy removal and replacement while maintaining secure connection during operation
Data Source
AI summary
A preparation vessel is adapted for connection with a receiving area of a base unit of an electric motor-driven food processor. In order to provide a preparation vessel for a food processor that can be locked with a base unit of a food processor regardless of its height, the preparation vessel has a locking assembly for locking the preparation vessel with the base unit of the food processor. The locking assembly has a displaceable contact element, which is arranged on the preparation vessel in such a way that it can be activated by a corresponding activating assembly of the receiving area of the food processor with the preparation vessel in a state properly connected with the base unit, so as to induce the locking of the preparation vessel by means of the locking assembly.